“Rethinking the Contraceptive Mandate: The classical liberal case against the law is stronger than the religious one.” Law professor Richard A. Epstein has this essay online today at the “Defining Ideas” site of the Hoover Institution.

“9th Circuit’s Tallman Named to FISA Court”: Pamela A. MacLean has this post today at her “Trial Insider” blog.

And at the “Techdirt” blog, Tim Cushing has a post titled “New FISA Court Appointees Are A Pro-Government Prosecutor And An Unknown Quantity.”

“North Dakota Abortion Law Trial Off as Case Settled”: Bloomberg News has this report.

“Nevada officials won’t defend gay marriage ban”: Ed Vogel of The Las Vegas Review-Journal has this news update.

The Associated Press reports that “Nevada officials won’t defend gay marriage ban.”

Reuters reports that “Nevada ends fight to ban gay marriage, cites changed landscape.”

And Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed reports that “Nevada Attorney General Stops Defending Same-Sex Marriage Ban In Appeal.”

“LDS Church, other faiths say traditional marriage is crucial to children, society”: Brooke Adams of The Salt Lake Tribune has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Religious groups join, fight gay marriage in court.”

“Idaho Supreme Court sides with Boise lesbian couple in adoption case”: The Idaho Statesman has this news update reporting on a unanimous ruling that the Supreme Court of Idaho issued today. The court also provided this summary of its ruling.

“Supreme Court Rule 28.8 may be invalid”: Will Baude has this post today at “The Volokh Conspiracy.”

“Appellate Judges: Umpires Or Gods?, Ctd.” Dan Klau has this post today at his “Appealingly Brief!” blog.

“Michelle Olsen: The Supreme Court’s Social Media Maven.” Julie Silverbrook has this profile of the author of the “Appellate Daily” blog and Twitter feed online at Ms. JD.

“Apple loses latest bid to block e-books antitrust monitor”: Reuters has this report on an order that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued today.

“Condemned man’s last words lead to questions about lethal injection ‘cocktail’ in Oklahoma, U.S.; States across the U.S. began using compounding pharmacies for a drug commonly used in executions after a key supplier stopped providing the drug”: This article appeared in yesterday’s edition of The Oklahoman.

“Hobby Lobby asks Supreme Court for exemption to Obamacare mandate”: CNN.com has this report on the merits brief that respondent Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. filed today in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Fate of Obama mountaintop crackdown may hinge on judges’ view of EPA guidance”: Jeremy P. Jacobs and Manuel Quinones of Greenwire have this report today.

“California wins two-year extension in fight over inmate releases”: The Sacramento Bee has this news update.

Howard Mintz of The San Jose Mercury News has an update headlined “California prison overcrowding fix gets two-year extension.”

The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Gov. Jerry Brown wins two-year delay in prison crowding caps.”

And The Associated Press reports that “California gets 2 more years to cut prison numbers.”

“Circuit Reconsiders Darvocet Class Action”: Pamela A. MacLean has this post at her “Trial Insider” blog reporting on an order granting rehearing en banc that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

The original ruling of a divided three-judge Ninth Circuit panel in the case can be accessed here.

“Kagan Says Her Path to Supreme Court Was Made Smoother by Ginsburg’s”: Adam Liptak will have this new installment of his “Sidebar” column in Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times.

“Suit: Gay parents want on birth certificates.” The Cincinnati Enquirer has this news update. The newspaper has posted at this link the complaint filed today in federal court initiating suit.

And in other coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Couples sue to force Ohio’s hand on gay marriage.”

“Ciavarella looks to high court decision; U.S. Supreme Court might rule by June”: This article appears today in The Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

“Rules in flux on police use of GPS tracking”: The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch has this report today.